PENTHOUSE HNL — Local services in Honolulu

Got a haircut during a long trip to Honolulu from Salt Lake City, where I run a barbershop. One of my favorite things to do as a barber/shop owner, is to visit shops whenever I travel. My visit to Penthouse HNL was probably the best travel stop to date. From the quick Uber ride from my hotel in Waikiki, to the shops location with plenty of options next door for food/drinks where my wife could hang out and wait(instead of watching me enjoy a haircut), to being greeted by the shop owner and offered a cold bottle of water the second I walked in, to my barber Gavin greeting me promptly at the appointed start time, we were off to a great start. Gavin showed me to my chair and offered a very detailed consultation about what I wanted to see in my haircut, before he ever even put the cape over me. This is a small detail, but it demonstrated that he wanted me to feel like we were having a real conversation about my goals before he just started chiseling away with “just another customer” I’m a barber, so I know my way around the terms and jargon used in our trade, but what really stood out to me with Gavin, was that he made it clear he knew how to TELL me what he was envisioning in his own words, to ensure I knew what was coming. This is hard to do, and in my opinion, one of the best skills a barber can learn. He had great communication and customer service. I felt the impression he was excited for an opportunity to do something he really loves, in a place he loves, after risking it all and giving up a comfortable life far away in order to pursue his craft in a place that better aligns with his long term goals.

All of that said, getting a haircut from a new barber can be scary and intimidating. Gavin has more than capable hands, and WILL take care of you.

I can’t recommend Gavin and...

Johnny and his team are the Top Tier!

What can I say that hasn’t already been mentioned here before. For about a year after moving to Oahu and trying multiple barbers across the island, I just happened to stumble in to a nearby shop where Johnny, the now Proprietor of Penthouse HNL, had just become available. The service he provided was exemplary and he took the time and great care to make sure that I got exactly what. Well, I didn’t get exactly what I wanted, I got much more. I received the best, most precise and intricate haircut in my life. I knew I had found my barber.

This was not just a haircut, but an experience. Johnny used tools and techniques I have never seen any of my other barbers use, and the result was a fresh, sleek, very professional look. I quickly realized that this was the next level hair care for me. Since then I have followed Johnny through his time building his skillset and have seen his hard work lead up to him now having a shop of his own shop that is now setting a standard in the local industry. On several occasions he has traveled for conferences and workshops in order to keep up with new trends, techniques, tools and products and has even hosted his own workshops to share his knowledge with others and the next generation of barbers.

Seeing the passion that Johnny has for his craft, his attention to detail, and high standards has given me a new appreciation for a barber’s ability to make a person feel the very best they can about themselves. I have no doubts that any of the barbers, including the juniors, will give you an immaculate trim as I have been able to see firsthand their work while getting my own service. I’m thoroughly...

My experience with Penthouse started with a getting a bad haircut fixed after a rotation from the Philippines. Initially, I was put off by the steep pricing, and was unsure of stepping out of my means for the chance of a good haircut. But the shop, maintaining a distinguished aesthetic and establishing itself at a unique locale, generated intrigue. “Penthouse.” The name had an air of exclusivity to it. A place for interesting people and exotic experiences. Its initial impression on me was magnetic, and so I decided to gamble on it.

Oftentimes you get what you pay for, and at Penthouse, you get what you pay for and more. What was initially a gambit, ended up being for me, one of the best finds on island, uncontested. Upon my initial visit, I was met with panel glass doors looking into the shop, as if spectator to a show of working artisans. And so within me was incited a curious excitement; I couldn’t wait to get a cut.

The atmosphere was welcoming. The shop was staffed by people not merely there to work, but to master a craft. Not only good at cutting hair, they are also good at servicing their customers. Special care is paid attention to the clientele; a clear cut understanding of the importance of your customer.

The cut can speak for itself in the photos below, but ever since, I have consistently walked in for cuts, and I don’t think I’ll stop. It wasn’t just a barbershop, but an experience. For me, the people I’ve met at this shop have made my day better every time I’ve come in, and the least I could do is express my gratitude...